Snow Business PPC: A Google Ads Guide

Published on February 21, 2025

Snow business PPC is a great way to attract leads who are actively searching for your services. Using Google Ads, you can increase conversions, build online presence, and expand local reach.

In this complete guide, you’ll discover everything you need to know about snow business PPC so you can quickly begin taking advantage of Google Ads for:

  • Fast results (you don't have to wait months to show up on Google)
  • Easy tracking (you'll know exactly how much you're spending and what you're getting back)
  • Better spots on Google (ads show up before regular search results)
  • Real clients looking for help (these people are searching for snow removal right now)

Use this guide to make Google Ads simpler. Plus, maximize your snow business PPC results, get the most from your money, and start winning more clients today!

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1. Choose Specific Areas to Target

Unlike the typical brick-and-mortar business, the snow removal business is different because you’re going to clients (rather than them coming to you).

In turn, it’s essential to choose specific areas to target, since you’ll need to know which areas or neighborhoods you’d like to win.

Remember, the higher the population in the area, the faster you’ll see results. Then, you’ll use these results to discover what Google Ads strategies are and aren’t working.

Plus, Google Ads now offers smart location targeting options to help you win more jobs. You can:

  • Target by zip codes, neighborhoods, or even specific streets
  • Use location bid adjustments to spend more in your best areas
  • Exclude areas that are too far or aren't profitable
  • See exactly which areas bring in the most leads

Also, Google's local service ads put your snow business PPC right at the top with a "Google Guaranteed" badge, which helps win trust fast.

2. Set Your Google Ads Spend Budget

Even though it's important to stick to your budget, remember that Google Ads costs more than Facebook Ads. You can't run Google Ads for $5 a day like you can with Facebook, so you'll need to spend more to see real results.

Why? Because you're reaching people who are actively looking for snow removal services. These leads cost more, but they're more likely to turn into paying customers.

For snow business PPC, expect to pay:

  • Between $5-25 per click (this changes based on your location and competition)
  • Higher costs during peak snow season
  • More in bigger cities where competition is fierce

To make Google Ads work well for your snow removal business, plan to budget at least $750-1,000 per month during your busy season. This gives you enough spend to:

  • Show up for enough searches to matter
  • Test different ad messages
  • Reach people across your service area
  • Compete with other local businesses

Remember, the goal is to find the sweet spot between not spending too much and spending enough to get a good return on your investment (ROI).

Pro Tip: Start with a moderate snow business PPC budget in a smaller area first. Once you see what works, you can expand your budget and coverage area.

3. Implement a Lead Followup Process

Before your Google Ads start bringing in new leads, you need a solid plan to handle them. Here's how to set everything up:

First, decide where you'll send people who click your ads:

  • Your website's homepage: This works if your site looks professional and has a clear way for customers to contact you
  • A special landing page: This is a simple page that focuses on getting people to call or fill out a form
  • Google's lead forms: These let people contact you right from the Google search page

Pro Tip: Whatever page you choose, make sure it works well on phones. Most people will see your ad on their mobile devices!

Next, set up your follow-up system:

  • Have someone ready to answer phone calls for estimates
  • Use Service Autopilot's Smart Maps to give quick estimates over the phone
  • Create estimate templates in Service Autopilot to send quotes in 5 minutes or less
  • Set up automatic texts or emails to thank people for contacting you

Make it easy for customers to take action:

  • Add a clear "Call Now" button at the top of your page
  • Keep your contact form short—just ask for name, address, and phone number
  • Include your phone number in big, bold text
  • Add a chat option if you can respond quickly

Remember: The faster you respond to new leads, the more likely they are to choose your business. Use Service Autopilot to help you stay organized and respond quickly to every new customer.

Smart Competitor Research

You can learn a lot by looking at how other snow removal businesses run their ads. Here's how to do it safely:

  • Use Google's Ad Preview tool instead of clicking on competitor ads (this way, you don't charge them for clicks)
  • Look at what they promise in their ads (like "Same Day Service" or "24/7 Emergency Plowing")
  • Notice which areas they target
  • See what special offers they promote

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4. Know the Basics of Google Ads

If you're new to Google Ads, you need to know how Google shows your ads to the right people. 

Match Types 

Match types tell Google when to show your ads based on what people search for. Here are the three types you can use:

Broad Match 

Keyword example: snow removal atlanta

This is the most flexible type. If you use broad match, Google will show your ad for searches that it thinks mean the same thing as your keyword. For example, your ad might show up when someone searches:

  • snow plowing atlanta
  • driveway snow removal
  • winter snow services atlanta
  • atlanta ice removal

While broad match can help you reach more people, it can also waste money on searches that aren't quite right for your business. But don't worry—Google's AI is getting better at understanding which searches make sense for snow removal businesses.

Phrase Match 

Keyword example: "snow removal atlanta"

Phrase match is more focused than broad match. Your ad will show when people search for your keyword or very close variations. The words need to be in the same order, but people can add words before or after. For example:

  • emergency snow removal atlanta
  • snow removal atlanta prices
  • best snow removal atlanta tx

This match type gives you more control while still reaching plenty of potential customers.

Exact Match 

Keyword example: [snow removal atlanta]

Exact match is the most precise option. While it used to only show ads for the exact phrase, Google now includes searches that have the same meaning. For example:

  • atlanta snow removal
  • snow removal in atlanta
  • removal of snow atlanta

Pro Tip: When you're just starting, use a mix of phrase match and exact match keywords. This helps you reach enough people while keeping costs under control. Once you see what works best, you can test broad match with a careful eye on your budget.

The Main Goal 

Your main goal with Google Ads is to show up when people are actually looking to hire a snow removal service. Focus on keywords that show buying intent, like:

  • snow removal service near me
  • hire snow plow
  • residential snow removal quote
  • commercial snow removal company

Remember: Google Ads has gotten a lot smarter at understanding what people want. Their AI helps match your ads with the right searches, but you still need to pick good keywords to start with.

Want to save money? Use Google's recommendations tool to see which match types work best for snow removal in your area. Just remember to check your results regularly to make sure you're spending your money wisely.

5. Choose Your Services and Keywords

Before diving into Google Ads, you need to know exactly what you're advertising and what words people use to find these services.

List Your Services 

Make a simple list of everything you offer. For example:

  • Snow plowing services
  • Residential snow removal
  • Commercial snow clearing
  • Sidewalk shoveling
  • Ice management
  • Emergency snow services

Don't forget to list what you DON'T offer. This helps you avoid wasting money on the wrong searches later.

Find Your Best Keywords 

Now that you know what you offer, here's how to find the right keywords:

  1. Use Google's Free Tools
  • Type your services into Google and look at the suggestions that pop up
  • Check the "People also ask" section at the bottom of search results
  • Use Google Keyword Planner (it's free with your Google Ads account)
  1. Focus on Service-Based Keywords Look for keywords that show someone wants to hire you, like:
  • snow removal service near me
  • commercial snow plowing
  • emergency snow removal company
  • residential snow clearing service
  1. Add Location Keywords Combine your services with your location:
  • snow removal [your city]
  • snow plowing service [neighborhood name]
  • commercial snow removal [your area]

Pro Tip: Don't worry too much about keyword volume in Google Keyword Planner. Since you're focusing on local searches, these numbers will be smaller than national searches. What matters is finding the right keywords for your specific area.

Group Your Keywords 

Organize your keywords into groups based on services. For example:

Residential Services:

  • residential snow removal
  • home snow plowing
  • driveway snow clearing

Commercial Services:

  • commercial snow removal
  • parking lot plowing
  • business snow clearing

Emergency Services:

  • 24/7 snow removal
  • emergency snow plowing
  • urgent snow clearing service

This organization helps you:

  • Create better ads for each service
  • Track which services get the most interest
  • Spend your budget more effectively
  • Adjust your strategy based on what works

Remember: Start with your most popular services first. You can always expand to other keyword groups once you see what works best.’t offer ice removal, then you don’t want your ad appearing in a search relating to that service.

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6. Use Your Account Structure to Make Spending Go Farther

Optimize and increase your performance by properly managing and organizing your account.

In other words, create high-level categories of your services and make each of them their own Google Ads campaign.

Next, split up each of these high-level categories with keywords split into different ad groups.

Also, if you want to take it a step further, break these categories up by match types too. In turn, this helps with testing to see what’s performing the best.

Then, create ads for those specific keywords and include them in the search term.

When you include the search term in your Google Ads, you’ll have the power to increase your relevancy to leads. In turn, this helps increase CTR’s and lower CPC’s (Costs Per Click).

BONUS: Split Up Your Campaigns By Location

Split up your campaigns by location using radius targeting.

While you don’t have to break up every city like this, splitting campaigns by granularization helps build data in your account. As a result, you’ll be able to see where your conversions are originating.

In contrast, you’ll also be able to see where you’re receiving a lot of clicks with low conversion rates.

Keep in mind, if you don’t split up your campaigns by location, then you can’t separately view these two factors.

Plus, after a year or two of running Google Ads in this way, you can turn off ads in specific areas while increasing bids in others.

In turn, this is one of the best ways to optimize your ad spend.

By the way, you can do this with your ads schedule too.

Break out your Google Ads times into smaller increments and days to see where you’re getting the best results, and then optimize.

7. Write Ads That Get Clicks

Want to write better Google Ads? The secret is understanding what your clients really want. Here's how to create ads that people actually click on:

Learn From Reviews 

Look at local reviews (especially 2-4 star ones) to understand what clients care about. These middle-range reviews often give the most honest feedback. Pay attention to:

  • What made clients happy
  • What problems they had
  • What they wish the service had done differently

For example, if you see lots of reviews saying "they never called me back about my estimate," you know leads value quick responses. Use this in your ad with something like "Get Your Estimate in 5 Minutes!"

Use Words That Work 

Make your ads stand out by:

  • Including your service area ("Atlanta Snow Removal")
  • Adding urgency ("24/7 Emergency Service")
  • Showing value ("Free Estimates" or "Same-Day Service")
  • Being specific ("Commercial Lot Clearing" or "Residential Driveways")

Pro Tip: Google now rewards ads that match what people are searching for. If someone searches "driveway snow removal," make sure those exact words appear in your ad.

Make Strong Offers 

Tell people exactly what they'll get:

"Clear Pricing, No Hidden Fees"

"Free Same-Day Estimates"

"Professional Snow Removal in Under 2 Hours"

"Family-Owned, Fully Insured Snow Service"

8. Use Negative Keywords to Only Pay for Good Clicks

Negative keywords stop your ad from showing up for the wrong searches. This saves you money and gets you better leads. Here's how to use them:

Add These Common Negative Keywords

  • "jobs" or "careers" (stops job seekers from clicking your ads)
  • "free" (avoids people looking for free services)
  • "diy" or "how to" (blocks people looking to do it themselves)
  • "salary" or "pay" (more job-related searches to block)
  • "training" or "courses" (people looking to learn the business)

Pro Tip: During busy snow seasons, also add words like "forecast" or "weather" to avoid showing ads to people just checking the weather!

Check Your Search Terms Report 

Every week during the snow season, look at what people searched for before clicking your ad. If you see searches you don't want, add them to your negative keywords list.

Remember: You can add negative keywords at any time. The more you add, the more money you'll save on wrong clicks.

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9. Track and Measure Your Success

The only way to know if your Google Ads are working is to track them. Here's how to measure your success with snow business PPC.

Set Up Basic Tracking 

Make sure Google can track when people:

  • Call your business
  • Fill out your contact form
  • Click your "Call Now" button
  • Request an estimate

Pro Tip: Google Ads can now record phone calls (with client permission). This helps you know which ads bring in the best leads!

Watch Your Numbers 

Check these things every week during snow season:

  • How much you spend per new lead
  • Which ads get the most calls
  • What times of day people contact you most
  • Which areas bring in the most business

Know What Success Looks Like 

For snow business PPC, you might:

  • Start seeing results within the first month
  • Expect better results as Google learns what works
  • Look for your cost per lead to go down over time
  • Track which neighborhoods bring the most profit

Remember: The more you track snow business PPC, the better you can make your ads work for your business. Use both Google Ads data and Service Autopilot to get the full picture of how well your ads are performing.

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The Google Ads Solution: Win More Clients With Snow Business PPC

Google Ads might seem complicated at first, but it's worth the effort. With this guide, you now know how to take advantage of snow business PPC and:

  • Target the right areas for your business
  • Set a budget that works
  • Catch and follow up with every lead
  • Use keywords that bring in real customers
  • Save money with negative keywords
  • Track what's working (and what's not)

Remember: Use Service Autopilot alongside Google Ads to give fast estimates, track your new clients, and turn one-time snow removal calls into long-term clients.


Related: Top Snow Resources to Level-Up Your Business in 2025


Originally published Sept 9, 2021 7:00 AM updated on Feb 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM

Alyssa Sanders

Alyssa is the Team Lead of Creative Marketing at Xplor Field Services. Alyssa is an expert in field service industry trends, roadblocks, and solutions. When she’s not writing or creating engaging content, you can find her watching a new sci-fi series or shoving her nose into a good book.
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